rsity of Science & Technology at Hissar, Kurukshetra University at Kurukshetra and Chaudhary Devi Lal University at Sirsa. Students willing to pursue higher education in dairy science can always enroll with the National Dairy Research Institute at Karnal. Haryana’s public as well as private education sectors run various medical and management institutes apart from colleges for teaching architecture, ayurveda, dentistry, engineering, hotel management, law, nursing, pharmacy, veterinary and physiotherapy. In the current budget the Haryana government has increased the allocation for education – including industrial training and technical education – by more than 16% to Rs. 6377.41 crores. There are plans afoot to set up an Indian Institute of Management at Rohtak. In addition, in the next three years, the government is all set to establish 26 new ITIs and expand the existing 22 ITIs.

In order to improve literacy levels at the grassroots the state government is continuing with such schemes as Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (launched on the pattern of Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan) and Saakshar Bharat Scheme of Government of India.

All these are powerful tools for spreading the culture of quality consciousness among educated classes as well as the society at large. This would result in the achieving of excellence in whatever discipline a student enrolls him/herself while imbibing stable work ethics so essential for achieving professional brilliance. Let us not forget that such an attitude will have a multiplier effect on every activity undertaken – be it teaching, administration, maintenance, industrial and agricultural production as well as marketing, not to mention the general governance.

It cannot be gainsaid that quality of education has emerged as a deciding factor in facilitating not just industrialization but also a constructive and progressive attitude. Therefore, quality of teaching acquires great prominence. Infrastructure is very important and so are other inputs but teachers who are trained in the latest skills and imbued with necessary attitude are indispensable to the process of providing quality and meaningful education right from primary school levels to University and beyond. But is this possible? Haryana’s investment in having quality teachers at various levels has been far less than satisfactory. One of the indicators is that teachers training colleges form about 1% of total number of colleges in the state. Moreover, most of the teaching skills imparted in such colleges are outdated and woefully inadequate to meet the requirements of a 21st century industrial society.

Time to focus on contextualizing education to the needs of 21st century Haryana. Right?

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